Business

Top 10 Producers

Things are looking up for the top public concrete producers in North America; 2012 revenue reports indicate they are gradually earning back business lost during the recession. Producers are ranked by North American revenue and number of employees (in North America only); we also highlight growth, acquisitions, divestments, and other performance factors.

In 2012, the North American operations of CRH, plc acquired 11 ready-mix plants, seven paver plants (three in Ontario, Canada; four in Florida), five packaged cement mix plants in Texas, five precast plants in California, and a majority stake in Trap Rock Industries, an aggregates and asphalt business in New Jersey. www.oldcastle.com

(*includes South American product sales, which accounts for 5% of reported EBITDA)

Worldwide sales decreased by 1.5% in 2012, but Cemex’s North American market saw an increase in ready-mix and cement profits, which constitute 38% and 47% of the company’s sales, respectively. In North America, Cemex operates 28 cement plants, 90 aggregate quarries, and 744 ready-mix plants, accounting for 44% of total revenue. www.cemex.com

HeidelbergCement’s North American sales were divided proportionately in 2012: Concrete made up 26% of sales; cement, 28.1%; building products, 18.9%; aggregates, 27%. When confronted with underwhelming building products sales, HeidelbergCement withdrew from the paving block business, selling several production sites, and restructuring its investments. www.heidelbergcement.com

In 2012, North America accounted for 21.3% of Lafarge’s total sales. Lafarge North America produced nearly 100 million tons of aggregates last year in 149 aggregates quarries, more than half of the company’s worldwide volume. The producer also operates 185 ready-mix plants and 17 cement plants. www.lafarge-na.com

Revenue from Trinity Construction Products (concrete and aggregates) accounted for $461 million of the company’s revenue in 2012; its second largest business group after railcar manufacturing. In an end-of-the-year deal with Dallas-based producer, TXI, Trinity sold its remaining ready-mix operations and acquired aggregate operations in Texas, Colorado, and California. www.trin.net

2012 sales were mixed for Holcim, which saw a 5% rise in cement sales and a 14.2% rise in ready-mix concrete, but a 5.2% fall in aggregates and an 8.5% drop in asphalt. The company is now focusing its energies on cement, for which it expects demand to increase in 2013. www.holcim.us

The Colas Group earns approximately one-fifth of its revenue from North America, which focuses primarily on road construction. Colas compensated for a weak U.S. economy in 2012 with record revenue in Canada. The company expects its U.S. business to improve in 2013 as a result of the new MAP-21 federal infrastructure plan. www.colas.com

Vulcan’s aggregate sales decreased in 2012, but revenue was kept afloat by a surge in concrete sales. Aggregates constitute 66% of Vulcan’s revenue; concrete, 17%; cement, 2%. Residential construction showed signs of recovery in 2012, and Vulcan anticipates a similar upturn for the public sector in 2013. www.vulcanmaterials.com

Aggregates account for about 80% of Martin Marietta’s revenue, but the producer’s ready-mixed concrete and road paving markets more than tripled over the past year. The West Group gained property assets in Colorado after an exchange with Lafarge North America, and saw its heritage aggregate sales increase 4.2% with shipments to the energy sector. www.martinmarietta.com

Against a backdrop of gradual economic improvement, U.S. sales improved 22% for the cement and ready-mix producer in 2012; Mexico sales were boosted 13%, in part by infrastructure projects and residential construction. Buzzi Unicem cited higher cement consumption. www.buzziunicemusa.com